23/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot and Russian transport minister Igor Levitin are due to meet on Friday 24 November in Helsinki, on the sidelines of the EU-Russia Summit (see related article, p4) to continue discussions aimed at putting an end to surcharges imposed on European air companies for overflying Siberia. The negotiations, which began at the start of the year, have made considerable progress, but “matters remain to be clarified,” a Commission spokesman said on Thursday. The Commission is still hopeful of concluding an agreement with Moscow by the end of the year at the latest, linking this issue to Russia's accession to the World Trade Organisation (see EUROPE 9286). (dt)